American Syrians - DamascusSyria Revolution News from an American Perspective in Englishhttp://americansyrians.com/syria/
http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specificationBlogEngine.NET 2.0.0.36en-UShttp://americansyrians.com/syria/opml.axdhttp://www.americansyrians.com/syndication.axdAmericanSyriansAmerican Syrians0.0000000.000000Top Alawite Brigadier General Defects<p>A top Alawaite, Major General Mohammed Khalouf and his son, have both defected and abandoned Syria's brutal dictator, Bashar Assad. In a television interview after his defection he stated that morale amongst troops is very low and that they are trying to recruit new infantry because they have run out. With the opposition's Free Syrian Army now numbering over 100,000 and fighting erupting in the streets of downtown Damascus, the Maj. General says that the end is near.</p>
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<p>The defection of a top Alawaite Major Genral and his top ranked son is "huge" when you talk to Syrians and Syria analysts. The Alawite community does not stand with Assad and this is another example of Alawites breaking with Assad. Assad has hoped that the Alawites would stick with him, but time and time again they have broken ranks. Assad has tried sending recruiters and his thugs to the Alawite mountains to recruit young men as soldiers. The Alawites refused and in-fighting broke out between Assad's thugs and their Alawite brethren. The relationship has been slowly degenerating since that time. Assad has had to resort to scud missiles and rockets to bombard towns, because he doesn't have soldiers left.</p>
<p>The defection of such a high ranking Alawite was never thought to be possible, but the brutality and injustice has lead even the loyalist of Assad supporters to break rank and abandon this lost cause.</p>http://americansyrians.com/syria/post/Top-Alawite-Brigadier-General-Defects.aspx
info@americansyrians.comhttp://americansyrians.com/syria/post/Top-Alawite-Brigadier-General-Defects.aspx#commenthttp://americansyrians.com/syria/post.aspx?id=e733559c-cd00-4a6e-a568-561fe8283b1cThu, 21 Mar 2013 19:09:00 -0700DamascusObamaMohammedhttp://americansyrians.com/syria/pingback.axdhttp://americansyrians.com/syria/post.aspx?id=e733559c-cd00-4a6e-a568-561fe8283b1c203http://americansyrians.com/syria/trackback.axd?id=e733559c-cd00-4a6e-a568-561fe8283b1chttp://americansyrians.com/syria/post/Top-Alawite-Brigadier-General-Defects.aspx#commenthttp://americansyrians.com/syria/syndication.axd?post=e733559c-cd00-4a6e-a568-561fe8283b1cAleppo, Damascus roar into the revolution<p class="intro">F</p>
<p>or fourteen months, the two largest cities in Syria have been relatively revolution free. No more! The big merchants of Damascus and Aleppo have been on strike for 4 days straight in protest and objection to the Houla massacre. Further, they have had massive, rip-roaring protests. From a historic perspective, as the merchants go, so does Syria. Assad is finished, it's just a matter of when and how. Start planning victory parties!</p>http://americansyrians.com/syria/post/Aleppo-Damascus-Revoltuion-Strike.aspx
info@americansyrians.comhttp://americansyrians.com/syria/post/Aleppo-Damascus-Revoltuion-Strike.aspx#commenthttp://americansyrians.com/syria/post.aspx?id=7158f760-e836-466a-8e6b-4c3583b8cec9Sat, 02 Jun 2012 12:36:00 -0700AleppoDamascusMohammedhttp://americansyrians.com/syria/pingback.axdhttp://americansyrians.com/syria/post.aspx?id=7158f760-e836-466a-8e6b-4c3583b8cec93http://americansyrians.com/syria/trackback.axd?id=7158f760-e836-466a-8e6b-4c3583b8cec9http://americansyrians.com/syria/post/Aleppo-Damascus-Revoltuion-Strike.aspx#commenthttp://americansyrians.com/syria/syndication.axd?post=7158f760-e836-466a-8e6b-4c3583b8cec9Elite and Rich Funding Syria's Revolution<p>While Syria's government is going bankrupt, the upper middle class still has money and is working hard to fund and energize the revolution. Assad's cousin Rami Makhlouf recently announced that he is donating his money back to the Syrian people. All he did was infuse $1 billion dollars back into Syria's government coffers to fight the revolution, because the government is strapped for cash and can not sustain this on-going brutal crackdown.</p>
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<p>Multiple sources inside Syria from every major city have confirmed that Syria's "rich and elite" upper class is funding and supporting the revolution. While they may not be out on the streets protesting, they have provided cash, cell phones, laptops, high resolution video cameras, satellite phones and modems, and their internet connections and computers to the revolutionaries. They are also providing medical supplies, food, and shelter. They are supporting this revolution one hundred percent and have quietly split with Assad a long time ago. They aren't on the fence. They just aren't in the streets. All Syrians despise Assad and are working together in various ways.</p>
<p>These same rich and elite often meet with Assad and patronize him and passify him with various words of wisdom and encouragement only to hasten his demise. They are working against him from within.</p>
<p>Further, Syrians living outside Syria have also helped support the revolutionaries. Sending in equipment from Lebanon as well as funding various aspects of the revolution.</p>
<p>Syrians see this as a golden opportunity to rid themselves of the most reviled, most repressive, most depsotic regime humanity has ever seen. And the light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter and brighter every day.</p>
<p>The final step is to cut off oil sales which provide Assad about $7-8 million dollars per day, which is going directly toward the military crackdown. This can only be sustained for another month at this rate before the government is bankrupt and can't pay the soldiers or feed them. If the US and EU are successful in halting oil sales, that day will come a lot sooner.</p>http://americansyrians.com/syria/post/Elite-Rich-Funding-Syrias-Revolution.aspx
info@americansyrians.comhttp://americansyrians.com/syria/post/Elite-Rich-Funding-Syrias-Revolution.aspx#commenthttp://americansyrians.com/syria/post.aspx?id=6839a88a-8a74-4ce4-95b3-7ab1305dad80Sun, 19 Jun 2011 14:51:00 -0700AleppoDamascusSyriaMohammedhttp://americansyrians.com/syria/pingback.axdhttp://americansyrians.com/syria/post.aspx?id=6839a88a-8a74-4ce4-95b3-7ab1305dad8017http://americansyrians.com/syria/trackback.axd?id=6839a88a-8a74-4ce4-95b3-7ab1305dad80http://americansyrians.com/syria/post/Elite-Rich-Funding-Syrias-Revolution.aspx#commenthttp://americansyrians.com/syria/syndication.axd?post=6839a88a-8a74-4ce4-95b3-7ab1305dad80My Letter To President Obama<p>Honorable President Obama:</p>
<p>I know you receive millions of messages but I hope you will read this one.</p>
<p>I am writing to you today about the situation in Syria, the land of my forefathers.</p>
<p></p>
<p>As you are well aware, the Assad regime is engaged in a brutal crackdown on pro-democracy advocates. I have also heard and read your statements on the situation there and I agree with everything you have said.</p>
<p>However, I feel you have not gone far enough. We are fighting a war (through NATO)in Libya based on the assumption that Ghadaffi was going to go house to house, door to door, room to room, and kill people. Well, Assad is already doing that in Syria and more people have died in the last 7 weeks than those that died in the Egypt uprisings.</p>
<p>I don't understand the reluctancy to call a spade a spade. Assad is NOT a reformer; he is a killer like his father. It's time we put an end to this madness, you need to tell him "it&rsquo;s time to GO;&rdquo; just like you did with Mubarak and Ghaddafi. He is just like them and probably even worse.</p>
<p>I know Syria doesn't have oil, and doesn't have a peace agreement with Israel, but the people of Syria are a great people who love American ideals. I have never been to Syria and I wish, that with your leadership, Syria can one day be free, and I can visit my grandfather's grave and read him a prayer. I wish to meet all my cousins that I have never seen. I wish to go to my grandfather&rsquo;s olive garden, and run my fingers through its dirt. I wish to see the Citadel of Aleppo that holds great history in its stones. I wish to shop the Hamadiya bazaar in Damascus. I wish to hear the water wheels of Hama that fed water to inhabitants of thousands of years. And finally, I wish to visit the city of Daraa to find out what they eat that makes them the bravest, most courageous, people on earth!</p>
<p>Will you help my wishes come true?</p>
<p>&nbsp;Thank you dearly,</p>
<p>&nbsp;Ammar</p>http://americansyrians.com/syria/post/My-Letter-To-President-Obama.aspx
info@americansyrians.comhttp://americansyrians.com/syria/post/My-Letter-To-President-Obama.aspx#commenthttp://americansyrians.com/syria/post.aspx?id=05cab5da-2239-468c-8c12-c0c60c43cccbMon, 09 May 2011 20:12:00 -0700AleppoDamascusObamaSyriaAmmarhttp://americansyrians.com/syria/pingback.axdhttp://americansyrians.com/syria/post.aspx?id=05cab5da-2239-468c-8c12-c0c60c43cccb19http://americansyrians.com/syria/trackback.axd?id=05cab5da-2239-468c-8c12-c0c60c43cccbhttp://americansyrians.com/syria/post/My-Letter-To-President-Obama.aspx#commenthttp://americansyrians.com/syria/syndication.axd?post=05cab5da-2239-468c-8c12-c0c60c43cccbWainik ya Halab? (where are you Aleppo?)<p>We've all been following the Syrian uprising and we've seen the fear barrier broken in all cities accross Syria from small towns like Daraa and Bayda, and even in the capital and Homs. But surprisingly, Aleppo, Syria's largest city, has been relatively quite.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Aleppo, the oldest city in the world, lies in the North of the country, near the Turkish border. It has some of the world's most beautiful historical architecture. It's population is diverse, consisting of Arabs, Kurds, Armenians and others. It has Muslims, Christians and Jews all living peacefully. It is a bustling city with vast farm lands as well. There was once a disagreement on whether Halab should actually be the capital.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>Through out history, because of its geographic location, Halab became a business town, where traders from all over the world would come to trade merchandise. Today it remains a hub for commerce and agriculture.</p>
<p>So the question is, why is Aleppo not joining the protests as much as other areas? I have scowered the internets to find evidence of protests, and while there are protests, they seem to be small and isolated. In fact, I have not seen anything since the 23 of April, meaning that Halab has been quite while Daraa has been underseige.</p>
<p>I hypothisize that this is due to one or more reasons:</p>
<p>- There have been widespread detentions in Halab leading to fear of people going out?</p>
<p>- There is an extremely large Mukhabarat presence in Halab?</p>
<p>- Cell phones have been confiscated?</p>
<p>- People in Halab are not as interested in over throwing the Government as other towns? I doubt this.</p>
<p>- They are too busy running their businesses?</p>
<p>I don't know how else to explain their absence. It is obvoius that if Halab were to join with force, Assad and his criminal mafia would be done.</p>
<p>If you have any ideas please comment.</p>http://americansyrians.com/syria/post/Wainik-ya-Halab-Where-Is-Aleppo).aspx
info@americansyrians.comhttp://americansyrians.com/syria/post/Wainik-ya-Halab-Where-Is-Aleppo).aspx#commenthttp://americansyrians.com/syria/post.aspx?id=b4f50e8c-5553-4695-883c-f28d53e95f47Mon, 25 Apr 2011 19:28:00 -0700DamascusSyriaAleppoAmmarhttp://americansyrians.com/syria/pingback.axdhttp://americansyrians.com/syria/post.aspx?id=b4f50e8c-5553-4695-883c-f28d53e95f4782http://americansyrians.com/syria/trackback.axd?id=b4f50e8c-5553-4695-883c-f28d53e95f47http://americansyrians.com/syria/post/Wainik-ya-Halab-Where-Is-Aleppo).aspx#commenthttp://americansyrians.com/syria/syndication.axd?post=b4f50e8c-5553-4695-883c-f28d53e95f47Robert Fisk on Syria<p>We all know that Mr. Fisk is a long time expert on Middle Eastern politics.&nbsp; Here's what he has to say about Syria:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSpeHVFPd8g">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSpeHVFPd8g</a></p>
<p></p>
<p>A summary?&nbsp; The protests are not from foreigners, but a genuine movement of the people; the educated Syrian population knows what is going on &amp; knows what it is talking about; the numbers out in the streets are not yet like the neighboring countries.</p>
<p>Many of us are watching Damascus with interest.&nbsp; No real change will happen, I believe, until the Syrians from the capital city step up.</p>
<p>So what are you waiting for?</p>http://americansyrians.com/syria/post/Robert-Fisk-Syria.aspx
info@americansyrians.comhttp://americansyrians.com/syria/post/Robert-Fisk-Syria.aspx#commenthttp://americansyrians.com/syria/post.aspx?id=a350752b-ff9b-4d72-8084-5d674147b082Sat, 23 Apr 2011 20:54:00 -0700DamascusSyriaVideoMunahttp://americansyrians.com/syria/pingback.axdhttp://americansyrians.com/syria/post.aspx?id=a350752b-ff9b-4d72-8084-5d674147b0826http://americansyrians.com/syria/trackback.axd?id=a350752b-ff9b-4d72-8084-5d674147b082http://americansyrians.com/syria/post/Robert-Fisk-Syria.aspx#commenthttp://americansyrians.com/syria/syndication.axd?post=a350752b-ff9b-4d72-8084-5d674147b082Inside Damascus on Great Friday<p>An account from inside Damascus was sent us. The names, locations, and identifying information have been altered. This is a first person, eye-witness account from a person who was protesting during Great Friday:</p>
<p>I woke up in the morning on Friday, per my usual routine. Took a bath, read some Quran, took a nap and waited for Friday prayer.</p>
<p>Me and a group of my friends headed over to our local Mosque. Inside the Mosque, something was different. It was electric and buzzing. You could feel the tension. People were on pins and needles. Everyone was waiting to see what the Imam (religious leader) would say during his sermon.</p>
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<p>The sermon was perfect! He started emotionally declaring that everything belongs to God. All of humanity, all of the world, Everything belongs to Him! You could hear whispers and electricity through the crowd. You aren't allowed to talk during Friday prayer, so this was very different and exciting. The hair on my back stood up. I felt chills. The sermon was perfect in it's entirety. He ended the sermon saying, "It's been a long 40 years... 50 years!" The crowd start chanting "God is Great" over and over for a long time. The air was energizing and you could feel the anguish and fear dissipate. For 50 years, Syrians have lived in fear of torture, detainment, humiliation, and death. This was all lifted. People felt alive and free!</p>
<p>At the end of the sermon, the Imam lead a quick short prayer, then we all rushed outside to quickly join the rest of the peaceful protesters in Damascus.&nbsp;The crowd was large (by Damascus standards). We had probably 2-3 thousand that left my Mosque and joined a larger crowd outside.&nbsp;We began chanting all kinds of slogans, like:</p>
<p>The Syrian People are One</p>
<p>God, Syria, Freedom</p>
<p>We want the demise of the dictatorship</p>
<p>Down with Oppression</p>
<p>Here are your men, Oh regime</p>
<p>Go, Go</p>
<p>There are no outsiders, we are Syrians</p>
<p>With Our Souls, We support you Duma/Daraa (two cities that were hit hard by security forces detaining, killing, and torturing people)</p>
<p>Peaceful, Peaceful&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>We were free and we felt good. Some people were crying with tears of joy, saying that they have never felt so free and so alive. The street swelled with people and we continued marching peacefully chanting for freedom. As we walked by the Security Apparatus (mukhabarat) headquarters, I gave the building a dirty look, and I could see people looking at the building nervously, but freely. Almost saying, "Look at us now, we are free! You can't keep torturing us forever!" It was an awesome feeling. They were pointing at the building while chanting, "We want the demise of the regime." It was beautiful!</p>
<p>When we were under a large overpass, the chants reverberated off the overpass and an awesome echo effects happened. You could hear the chants getting louder and louder as they bounced off buildings and walls. People were excstatic and excited!</p>
<p>We'd been protesting for about half an hour when we hear a loud "BOOM" from behind us. I felt something hit my left leg in the calf. I look down and see a firecracker and kick it away. People start panicking and moving faster and faster. I tell them to relax, it's just a firecracker. Then I notice tears running down my cheeks, and a few more "BOOMs" occur. These were not firecrackers. These wear tear gas canisters. People kick them away and try to move to better locations. The security forces were 50 yards away firing these at us. Cowards!</p>
<p>My friends and I wanted to stay together so we don't get broken up or lose one another. The tear gas caused us to disperse and we got a little disoriented. Then we see busses arriving, and everyone knew what was on the busses. The Security Apparatus had arrived and was planning to massacre us. Everyone dispersed and escaped. From what I can tell they didn't get a hold of anyone. People escaped through alleyways and backstreets.</p>
<p>We eventually found our car and drove off to try and get back home. It took almost an hour to get home They had checkpoints at every street and stopped us 4-5 times, checked our IDs, cursed at us, humiliated us (per the usualy protocol), and then we finally got home.</p>
<p>My throat still hurts. It's not just tears. It's an irritant that hurts your throat and sinuses. It's awful.</p>
<p>I didn't think anything could happen in Damascus, but it did. There are more rallies planned for this week, and of course, next Friday. The peaceful freedom movement is growing. People are excited and becoming gutsier and gutsier. They are not afraid. They have nothing to live for, so they want to be free.</p>
<p>Watch the video of this demonstration. You can see them under the overpass chanting:</p>
<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/p4mA8YXPg1A" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><p>
<p>In the below video you can hear the BOOM of tear gas being fired at the peaceful crowd:</p>
<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/JkahXrnQIIQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>http://americansyrians.com/syria/post/Inside-Damascus-Great-Friday.aspx
info@americansyrians.comhttp://americansyrians.com/syria/post/Inside-Damascus-Great-Friday.aspx#commenthttp://americansyrians.com/syria/post.aspx?id=2714d455-a2d0-437b-921c-7e390e6594f3Fri, 22 Apr 2011 13:09:00 -0700DamascusSyriaVideoMohammedhttp://americansyrians.com/syria/pingback.axdhttp://americansyrians.com/syria/post.aspx?id=2714d455-a2d0-437b-921c-7e390e6594f35http://americansyrians.com/syria/trackback.axd?id=2714d455-a2d0-437b-921c-7e390e6594f3http://americansyrians.com/syria/post/Inside-Damascus-Great-Friday.aspx#commenthttp://americansyrians.com/syria/syndication.axd?post=2714d455-a2d0-437b-921c-7e390e6594f3Damascus Sealed Off for Friday<p>Our sources inside Syria have confirmed that, in anticipation of Friday protests, the Syrian security forces and army have sealed off all major roads leading into and out of Damascus. No one will be getting in, no one will be getting out. The regime is scared that people from neighboring cities will try to enter and rally with the pro-freedom crowds.</p>http://americansyrians.com/syria/post/Damascus-Sealed-Off-for-Friday.aspx
info@americansyrians.comhttp://americansyrians.com/syria/post/Damascus-Sealed-Off-for-Friday.aspx#commenthttp://americansyrians.com/syria/post.aspx?id=ad190a78-8a21-4b18-80ce-c69ba63bcedeThu, 21 Apr 2011 22:11:00 -0700DamascusSyriaMohammedhttp://americansyrians.com/syria/pingback.axdhttp://americansyrians.com/syria/post.aspx?id=ad190a78-8a21-4b18-80ce-c69ba63bcede0http://americansyrians.com/syria/trackback.axd?id=ad190a78-8a21-4b18-80ce-c69ba63bcedehttp://americansyrians.com/syria/post/Damascus-Sealed-Off-for-Friday.aspx#commenthttp://americansyrians.com/syria/syndication.axd?post=ad190a78-8a21-4b18-80ce-c69ba63bcede